Xavier Slated For Intrastate Matches with Cincinnati and Miami

Thursday, September 16

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Cincinnati

Xavier Slated For Intrastate Matches with Cincinnati and Miami

09.15.21 | Volleyball

Musketeers will go to Cincinnati before hosting the Redhawks on Friday

By: Mark Leopold, Xavier Athletics Communications

CINCINNATI, OH - Xavier will stay within city limits as they head across town to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats on Thursday before returning home to host Miami on Friday at 6:00 pm ET from the Cintas Center.

Xavier is 4-4 to start the season, most recently picking up a five-set victory over Lipscomb last weekend. Cincinnati is 3-3, and Miami is 2-6.

XAVIER SCHEDULE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-4) at CINCINNATI BEARCATS (3-3)
Match Info - Thursday, September 16 - 6:30 p.m. ET - Fifth Third Arena
Live Stats - https://bit.ly/39LWvsz
Watch Live ($) - https://es.pn/3z8Dzx7

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-4) vs MIAMI (OH) REDHAWKS (2-6)
Match Info - Friday, September 17 - 6:00 p.m. ET - Cintas Center
Live Stats - http://bit.ly/2BQZu3r
Watch Live ($) - https://bit.ly/3kcOh1A

ABOUT CINCINNATI

2021 (Fall) Record: 3-3
2021 (Spring) Record: 6-7 (4-4 American)
Series History: Cincinnati leads, 22-12
Last Meeting: Xavier 3, Cincinnati 1 (February 6, 2021 - Cincinnati, OH)

NOTABLES
• Thursday's contest will be the 35th edition of the crosstown rivalry. While Cincinnati leads the series, Xavier won the last meeting, 3-1, on the the road at Fifth Third Arena.
• The Bearcats are 3-3 to start the season wins over RV Texas State, RV Notre Dame and Bowling Green.
• Coming off a .500 record in the conference last Spring, Cincinnati was tabbed to finish 5th in the American Preseason Coaches' poll.
•They are coached by Molly Alvey, who has accrued over 200 wins in her career. This includes three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 5 seasons behind her recruit, Jordan Thompson.

ABOUT MIAMI

2021 (Fall) Record: 2-6
2021 (Spring) Record: 13-9 (13-8 MAC)
Series History: Miami leads 12-3
Last Meeting: Xavier 1, Purdue 3 (Aug. 29, 2017 - Cincinnati, OH)

NOTABLES
• The Musketeers and Redhawks will play for the 16th time on Friday. Miami (OH) leads the all-time series with Xavier, but the two have a split record in their last four meetings.
• Miami is 2-6 so far on the season, having picked up wins against the College of Charlestion and Howard in four sets each.
• Miami was picked to finish third in the MAC East Division Preseason Coaches Poll, behind unanimous favorite Bowling Green and a couple votes behind Kent State.
• Miami Hall-of-Famer Carolyn Condit returns for her 38th season leading the RedHawks. She enters the 2021 campaign having led Miami to a top-four finish the past five seasons and to four of the last five Mid-American Conference regular-season championships.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST HONORS

• Junior Carrigan O'Reilly was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team on Aug. 8.

• O'Reilly ranked second in the BIG EAST in assists per set (10.69) last season, while ranking 30th in the NCAA. The All-BIG EAST performer recorded 631 total assists to rank 73rd in the NCAA. She added 69 kills, seven aces, 146 digs and 29 blocks.

• The Westerville, Ohio, native also earned AVCA All-East Region Honorable Mention Team honors.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Xavier will play 11 non-conference matches and compete in three tournaments. The Musketeers opened the season at the Charlotte Tournament on Aug. 27-28, taking on South Carolina State, Charlotte and Colorado. Then Xavier traveled to the Loyola Tournament on Sept. 3-4, taking on SIUE, Eastern Kentucky and Loyola. After facing Lipscomb and Louisville, the Musketeers will go up against in-state foes Cincinnati, Miami and Dayton.

• The Musketeers hosted the Xavier Tournament on Sept. 10-11. Three of the four teams competing in the tournament participated in the NCAA Tournament last spring: Louisville, Purdue and Lipscomb. Purdue finished the year ranked No. 7 in the AVCA Top-25 Poll, while Louisville ranked 11th.

• Xavier takes on crosstown rival Cincinnati on Sept. 16 at Fifth Third Arena. The two teams split the two-match series last year with the road team winning each match.

• The Musketeers take on teams from 10 different conferences during non-conference action (ACC, MEAC, C-USA, Pac-12, OVC, A-SUN, MVC, MAC, AAC, A-10). Xavier will face two new opponents for the first time in program history in SIUE and Loyola.

• Xavier opens its 18-match BIG EAST schedule on Friday, Sept. 24 vs Providence. The Musketeers play four of their first six BIG EAST matches at Cintas Center.

• Xavier closes its BIG EAST schedule with back-to-back road matches at UConn (Nov. 19) and Butler (Nov. 21).

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• The Musketeers posted a 7-7 (3-3 BIG EAST) record during the COVID-19 shortened spring 2021 season. Xavier had wins over rival Cincinnati, Big 12 member Kansas and AVCA Top-50 team UIC.

• Xavier returns AVCA All-East Region Team member, Carrigan O'Reilly. The junior setter picked up honorable mention team honors, becoming the first Musketeer to earn the honors since Sofia Peterson and Abbey Bessler in 2016.

• O'Reilly also earned All-BIG EAST honors. She averaged 10.71 assists per set, ranking second in the BIG EAST and 28th in the NCAA. She added 69 kills, 29 blocks, 146 digs and seven aces. The Westerville, Ohio, native had seven double-doubles and one triple-double.

• The Musketeers also return All-BIG EAST honoree and BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Delaney Hogan. She was the first Musketeer to earn "Freshman of the Year" honors since Aubree Smith picked up the accolades in 2011 (Atlantic-10 Conference). She was also the first Xavier player to earn a major award from the BIG EAST since Abbey Bessler in 2015 (BIG EAST Player of the Year).

• Hogan led the BIG EAST in hitting percentage this season (.356), while ranking 100th in the NCAA. The middle blocker also led the Musketeers in total kills (131) and total blocks (45) this season. She averaged 2.38 k/s and 0.82 b/s and had 10 or more kills in eight matches.

• Xavier only graduated one player in Lauren Hanlon. All told, the Musketeers return 13 letterwinners and welcome four newcomers to the roster.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST HONOREES

Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Year
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John's, Sr., OH

Preseason All-BIG EAST
(listed alphabetically by institution, then last name)

Melody Davidson, Butler, R-Sr., MB
Caylee Parker, Connecticut, Sr., OH
Naomi Hickman, Creighton, Sr., MB
Jaela Zimmerman, Creighton, Sr., OH^
Savannah Rennie, Marquette, Gr., MB^
Taylor Wolf, Marquette, Gr., RS/S^
Allison Barber, Providence, Gr., S
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John's, Sr., OH^
Rachele Rastelli, St. John's, Sr., RS
Tsvetelina Ilieva, Seton Hall, So. OH
Averi Salvador, Villanova, Gr., L/DS
Carrigan O'Reilly, Xavier, Jr., S/RS

^ denotes unanimous selection

PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

1.	Creighton (8)	97 pts.
2.	Marquette (3)	93
3.	St. John's	83
4.	Xavier	68
5.	Villanova	56
t-6.	UConn	48
t-6.	DePaul	48
8.	Providence	44
9.	Butler	31
10.	Seton Hall	27
11.	Georgetown	10